Bringing home the gold

June 13, 2017

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PNW weekly television program earns award

Purdue Northwest Practicum in Radio and Television students, from left, Sewan Kim, Mackenzie Covault and Christopher Anguiano contributed to a recent Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts production award the university earned for its TV program, The Calumet Roundtable.

Student producers of Purdue University Northwest’s weekly television program, The Calumet Roundtable, earned a video production award from the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts (AIVA) for a recent episode featuring an interview of “Mama” Charlotte O’Neal, a founding member of the Kansas City Black Panther Party.

The program received one of five Communicator Awards of Distinction in the Film / Video / Television category as a Talk Show / Interview. The award is the second received in as many years for The Calumet Roundtable.

The 30-minute interview program focuses on issues in communication and media, politics and scholarly research. Purdue Northwest Communication Professors Lee Artz and Thomas Roach, also head of the Department of Communication and Creative Arts, conduct the interviews.

Airs on Chicago TV

The student-produced program airs Thursday mornings at 5:30 on ION Television, WCPX-TV, Chicago. It also can be viewed on YouTube.

In the award-winning episode titled, “A Discussion with Mama C,” O’Neal discussed what led to her exile from the United States for more than 20 years, and how much her message still resonates today. She also explained how her United African Community Center in Tanzania works with people internationally to project a message of peace.

According to program assistant producer Brooke Kirant, “Being recognized for all our time and hard work is so motivating, and it truly makes the experience worthwhile. We were honored to have Mama C as a guest; it was a wonderful opportunity to learn from such a prominent activist.”

Experiential learning

PNW students who produced the program were enrolled in the university’s experiential learning course, “Practicum in Radio and Television,” taught by Associate Professor of Communication Mary Beth O’Connor. Experiential learning coursework—the integration of traditional and real world learning–is required by all PNW students.

“All students who take this course have an amazing portfolio when they leave,” O’Connor said. “Many students who have participated in this class have used their portfolio to secure prestigious jobs and internships.”